BACKGROUND/AIMS: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma ligand is known to inhibit the growth of several kinds of cancer cells, yet its effect on cholangiocarcinoma is indecisive. We investigated the effect of an endogenous ligand of PPAR-gamma, 15-deoxy-delta (12,14)-prostaglandin J2 (15-deoxy-PGJ2) on cholangiocarcinoma cells that were established from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tissue of Korean patients. METHODS: Four cholangiocarcinoma cell lines, Cho-CK, Choi-CK, JCK and SCK, were studied. The mRNA expression of PPAR-gamma, bcl-2, and bax were examined by RT-PCR. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. The cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry, and apoptosis by cell death detection ELISA kit. Caspase activity was measured by colorimetric assay. The effect of caspase inhibitors on 15-deoxy-PGJ2-induced apoptosis was determined by measuring cell viability using the MTT assay. RESULTS: PPAR-gamma mRNA was expressed in all cholangiocarcinoma cells. 15-deoxy-PGJ2 inhibited proliferation of all cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. All cells treated with 15-deoxy-PGJ2 showed increased dose-dependent apoptosis. Caspase 3 was activated in all cells and caspase 9 was activated in all but JCK cells after 15-deoxy-PGJ2 treatment. Caspase 8 activity showed no significant change. The pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK, and the caspase-3 inhibitor, Z-DEVD-FMK, blocked 15-deoxy-PGJ2-induced apoptosis in all cells dose-dependently. The expression of bcl-2 was decreased in Cho-CK, Choi-CK and SCK cells, and bax expression was not changed significantly after 15-deoxy-PGJ2 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: PPAR-gamma mRNA was expressed in all Korean cholangiocarcinoma cells. Our data suggest that 15-deoxy-PGJ2 exerts an antineoplastic effect against cholangiocarcinoma cells by inducing apoptosis through caspase activation.
Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones ; Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase 8 ; Caspase 9 ; Caspase Inhibitors ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Liver Neoplasms ; Oligopeptides ; Peroxisomes ; PPAR gamma ; Prostaglandin D2 ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of significant fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infections and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) <80 IU/L, and to develop a noninvasive predictive model for significant fibrosis. METHODS: The 136 patients with CHB who underwent liver biopsy were recruited from six tertiary hospitals. The diagnostic value of predictors was judged using multivariate logistic modeling and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. RESULTS: Significant fibrosis was diagnosed in 97 patients (71.3%, 95% CI, 63.7~78.9%). In the training set (n = 85), the most important clinical data for predicting significant fibrosis were age and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The AUROC of this model was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.78~0.94). The validation set (n=51), obtained from another institute, yielded similar results [AUROC: 0.90 (95% CI, 0.78~0.99)]. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of significant fibrosis in CHB patients with ALT <80 IU/L was observed. A simple model that includes age and AST provides an easily applicable tool for physicians to guide the decision-making process regarding the need to perform a liver biopsy in individual patients. However, additional studies are needed to explore the model's performance in larger, independent patient populations.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Biopsy ; Fibrosis ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Liver ; Logistic Models ; Prevalence ; ROC Curve ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Viruses

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic right ventricular pacing (RVP) can lead to increased risks of ventricular dyssynchrony (VD), heart failure, and mortality. This study examined the factors influencing VD in patients treated with a permanent pacemaker (PPM). METHODS: The study enrolled 139 patients (M:F=1:1.35, 66.8+/-1.0 years) who had permanent pacemaker implanted [AAI (R): 11, VVI (R): 39, VDD (R): 50, DDD: 39]. Their clinical characteristics, 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, and laboratory parameters were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of VD. RESULTS: VD was seen in 71.9% of the patients with a PPM. No significant difference was observed in the clinical characteristics, except for the indications and current action mode of the PPM. VD was more frequently associated with patients with AV block and ventricular pacing. The QRS duration and QTc interval were significantly wider in patients with VD (159.9+/-3.2 vs. 129.4+/-6.3 ms, p<0.001; 487.7+/-4.0 vs. 470.9+/-8.0 ms, p<0.05, respectively). On echocardiography, tricuspid regurgitation was more common in patients with VD. The N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level was higher in the dyssynchrony group (431.4+/-66.1 vs. 202.8+/-40.8, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AV block and ventricular pacing developed VD more frequently. A higher serum NT-proBNP level and prolonged QRS duration, QTc, and tricuspid regurgitation might be associated with VD.
Atrioventricular Block ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Peptide Fragments ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency

Physicians prefer traditional right ventricular apical pacing to right ventricular outflow tract pacing because of easy accessibility, short procedure time, stable lead function and a low incidence of complications. However, right ventricular apical pacing produce an abnormal pattern of ventricular activation compared with right ventricular outflow tract pacing. There is growing evidence that right apical pacing may have long-term detrimental effects on left ventricular function. The report of Kim et al. in this issue showed that ventricular dyssynchrony was commonly seen in patients with permanent pacemaker implantation. They suggested the role of paced QRS duration to predict ventricular dyssynchrony during the follow-up period in patients with permanent pacemaker. However, a large scaled prospective observational study is needed to assess the factors influencing ventricular dyssynchrony in Korean patients with permanent pacemaker.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ventricular Dysfunction ; Ventricular Function, Left

No abstract available.
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Despite improvements in the achievement of complete remission and progress in the supportive care of adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during the last decade, the majority of patients have eventually relapsed with overall survival in adult ALL of only 30~40%. However, recent therapeutic advances in allogeneic stem cell transplantation through the conduct of large collaborative studies, better understanding of the relevance of cytogenetics and molecular determinants, improved molecular techniques for the detection of minimal residual disease, and clinical research into novel biologic and targeted therapies have all combined to offer potentially a better hope for an improved outcome in this uncommon and difficult disease. Full knowledge of the molecular features associated with treatment response is required for precise leukemia prognostication and monitoring, and can provide clues to useful targets for novel therapies.
Achievement ; Adult ; Cytogenetics ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Stem Cell Transplantation

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to identify the effects of social support, resilience, stress and satisfaction in major on the happiness index of nursing students. METHODS: Data were collected from March 16 to April 10, 2015 through a self-report questionnaire survey. Participants were 205 students in three different nursing colleges located in Busan and Yangsan. Measured variables were social support, resilience, stress, satisfaction in major and Happiness index. RESULTS: Social support, resilience, satisfaction in major, and personal relationships had significant positive effects on the happiness index, while stress had a negative effect on the happiness index. Explained variance for the happiness index was 46% and social support was the most significant factor in the happiness index of nursing students. CONCLUSION: The results from this study suggest that resilience, social support, stress, satisfaction in major, and personal relationships should be considered as the main influential factors when developing intervention strategies to increase of the happiness index of nursing students.
Busan ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Happiness* ; Humans ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relation between violence experiences and the professional quality of life for hospital nurses. METHODS: The participants for this study were 212 nurses in one general and three special hospitals located in the metropolitan area of Seoul, South Korea. Data gathered through October and November 2013 were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi2 test. RESULTS: Nurses experienced verbal violence, physical threats and physical violence more frequently from patients and their families rather than from doctors or peer nurses. Nurse's compassion satisfaction was low when nurses experienced violence from peer nurses. Burnout was high when nurses experienced violence from doctors, peer nurses, patients and their families. Secondary traumatic stress was affected by violence from patients and their families. The professional quality of life of nurses was associated with violence from doctors, peer nurses, patients and their families. Of the nurses, 69.3% answered that formation of a positive organizational culture would be the most effective measure for prevention of violence in hospitals. CONCLUSION: The formation of positive organizational culture, development of violence intervention policies and education are crucial to improve the professional quality of hospital nurses' life.
Education ; Empathy ; Hospitals, Special ; Humans ; Korea ; Organizational Culture ; Quality of Life* ; Seoul ; Violence*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting student adjustment to college among students in health colleges (Nursing, Clinical Pathology, Radiology, Dental Hygienics, Medicine). METHODS: The participants in this study were 261 students in Daejeon city. Data were collected from October 5 to October 14, 2014. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection and data was analyzed using the SPSS/WIN program. RESULTS: Career attitude maturity, calling and work as meaning positively correlated with student adjustment to college. The significant predictors of student adjustment to college were career attitude maturity, calling, always working part-time, major in medicine and average grade for the last semester. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that adjustment to college for students in health colleges is linked to career attitude maturity, and calling. College organization should develop a curriculum fostering a calling which will promote student adjustment to college and graduate health care professionals with desirable attitudes.
Curriculum ; Data Collection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Foster Home Care ; Humans ; Pathology, Clinical